UA Little Rock Looks to the Future with Approval of New Strategic Plan
The Board of Trustees for the University of Arkansas System has approved a new five-year strategic plan for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, setting a bold vision for the future.
The approval and development of UA Little Rock’s new five-year strategic plan marks a significant milestone for the university. The Strategic Plan is the culmination of many months of a collaborative campus wide effort that began with comprehensive surveys to determine institutional priorities and values. UA Little Rock’s Strategic Plan was developed by focusing on the university’s primary goals, values, and assets – leading to five main goals for the plan, which include access, experience, attainment, research, and community development.
“In preparing to build a new strategic plan, we asked our stakeholders to help us identify our most salient values, our strengths, and our purpose,” UA Little Rock Chancellor Christina S. Drale said. “We used this information to bring a sharp focus to our plans for the future. The five goals we’ve set for the institution represent the best of who we are and the most important assets we bring to the people of Arkansas.”
The plan aims to create more opportunities for students, provide enhanced support for faculty, staff, and students, build new community partnerships, and expand the university’s research impact.
“The purpose of this plan is to focus our attention on the critical elements of our mission and to assist us in being more explicit and intentional in the alignment of our goals and values with our allocation of resources and our decision-making,” Drale said.
UA Little Rock took a unique approach to the development of its strategic plan by creating 10 component groups representing functional areas of campus, including academic affairs, advancement, enrollment management, and research. These 10 groups created strategic component plans that were directly aligned with the university’s institutional goals. The component plans were integrated into the university’s five institutional goals to create a comprehensive integrated strategic plan with detailed objectives. strategies, and clear lines of responsibility.
The goals of the UA Little Rock strategic plan are:
- ACCESS: Increase student access to transformative educational experiences that are affordable, versatile, and relevant
- EXPERIENCE: Improve the student, faculty, and staff experience by cultivating an engaging campus community that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusivity
- ATTAINMENT: Strengthen educational attainment through academic programs leading to social and economic mobility and the achievement of students’ aspirational goals
- RESEARCH: Expand the institution’s applied research footprint to provide advanced educational opportunities and to broaden external impact
- COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Enhance community engagement through partnerships and collaborations involving faculty, staff, and students that address local, state, and regional needs
A committee of 25 people from UA Little Rock were instrumental in the creation of the new Strategic Plan. Along with Chancellor Drale, they include Provost Ann Bain, Melvin Beavers, Lance Bennings, Brian Berry, Kara Brown, Cody Decker, Sharon Downs, Alicia Dorn, Jeremy Ecke, Jerry Ganz, David Gilliam, Leslie Hutchins, Brian Keltch, George Lee, Joni Lee, Darius Maize, Joanne Matson, Meaghan Milliorn, Christian O’Neal, Carrie Phillips, Kristi Smith, and Brittany Straw.
UA Little Rock’s Strategic Plan can be found by visiting https://ualr.edu/about/strategic-plan/.
